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A small, round character, visibly trembling and hugging itself, hiding partially behind a bright yellow curtain with a worried and fearful expression.

temo

TEH-moh

VerbA2regular er
I fear?Expressing fear or worry
Also:I am afraid of?Used interchangeably with 'I fear',I worry?When talking about a potential negative outcome

Quick Reference

infinitivetemer
gerundtemiendo
past Participletemido

📝 In Action

Temo a las arañas.

A1

I am afraid of spiders.

No temo decir la verdad.

A2

I am not afraid to tell the truth.

Temo que no lleguemos a tiempo.

B1

I fear that we won't arrive on time.

Temo lo peor.

B2

I fear the worst.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • tengo miedo de (I'm scared of)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • temo por tu seguridad – I fear for your safety
  • temo lo peor – I fear the worst

Idioms & Expressions

  • temer por la vida – to fear for one's life

💡 Grammar Points

Using 'Temer que' + a Special Verb Form

When you say you fear that something might happen, the verb that follows 'que' changes its ending. This special form is called the subjunctive. For example, 'Temo que llegue tarde' (I fear he/she might arrive late).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting 'a'

Mistake: "Temo los perros."

Correction: Temo a los perros. When you fear a specific person or pet, you usually need to add 'a' right after the verb.

⭐ Usage Tips

'Temo' vs. 'Tengo miedo'

'Temo' can sound a bit more formal or serious than 'Tengo miedo'. In everyday chat, 'Tengo miedo de las arañas' is more common than 'Temo a las arañas', but both are perfectly correct.

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedteme
yotemo
tútemes
ellos/ellas/ustedestemen
nosotrostememos
vosotrosteméis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedtemía
yotemía
tútemías
ellos/ellas/ustedestemían
nosotrostemíamos
vosotrostemíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedtemió
yotemí
tútemiste
ellos/ellas/ustedestemieron
nosotrostemimos
vosotrostemisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedtema
yotema
tútemas
ellos/ellas/ustedesteman
nosotrostemamos
vosotrostemáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedtemiera o temiese
yotemiera o temiese
tútemieras o temieses
ellos/ellas/ustedestemieran o temiesen
nosotrostemiéramos o temiésemos
vosotrostemierais o temieseis
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: temo

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'temo'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

temer(to fear) - verb
temor(fear) - noun
temeroso(fearful, timid) - adjective
temible(fearsome, dreadful) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'temo' the same as 'tengo miedo'?

They mean the same thing ('I fear' or 'I am afraid'), but 'tengo miedo' is more common in everyday, casual conversation. 'Temo' can sound a little more formal or be used for more serious or abstract fears, like 'Temo el futuro' (I fear the future).

Why does this dictionary entry show conjugations for 'temer' if the word is 'temo'?

'Temo' is just one form of the verb 'temer' (the 'I' form for the present). To use the word correctly for other people ('you fear,' 'they feared,' etc.), you need to know all its forms. We provide the full map of the verb to help you use it in any situation!